Iraq war enthusiasts are hard to figure

November 22, 2005

Some people, such as Joe DeKever (Voice Oct. 14), believe that if you donÂ?t support the war, you donÂ?t support the troops. It always baffles me that those who holler Â?Bring Â?em onÂ? the loudest arenÂ?t going anywhere, and especially not to Iraq. It appears that DeKever has no qualms about sending our youth into a war based on political agendas that make very wealthy Americans wealthier and murder innocent people, including American soldiers who are far too young to make ethical decisions about war. People such as DeKever care more about perceived threats of terrorism and protection from these threats than they care about the ill effects that this war has had on AmericaÂ?s soldiers, their families and the rest of the us. If you really support our troops, then join the growing ranks of Americans, and there are millions of us, who want this war to end. Bring our troops home and impeach President Bush for putting us into a war that had no legitimacy to begin with. If the DeKevers of our nation believe that this war is just and honorable then let them go to Iraq. As a good American citizen, I promise to support them.

Steve EveringhamRolling Prairie

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Despicable I understand that the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. superintendent and school board have certain legal obligations to the district. Certainly the people who elect school board candidates know that there is also a moral responsibility that is part and parcel of their duties. Part of that moral responsibility is to protect the students at all times, and not allow the school districtÂ?s defense to claim that a 9-year-old who was a victim of molestation by a teacher on school property was partially to blame. I think the districtÂ?s silence on this matter is morally irresponsible, as despicable as Timothy WyllieÂ?s crime. I doubt if even he thought to blame the 9-year-old for his crime. The end does not justify the means.

John KolbergMishawakaParanoia Connie Blair exaggerates when she says that the near west side Â?neighborhood has been ripped apartÂ? (Tribune, Oct. 21) by the controversy over the rezoning of the Catholic Worker House on West Washington Street. While I respect the hard work and calming influence and good work of Jeff Gibney and the South Bend Heritage Foundation, I submit that in this case they are looking backwards to an outmoded plan that fails the neighborhood, particularly in the 1100 block of West Washington. We need a forward-looking plan which will encompass the desires of all our neighbors, and at the same time calm the paranoia of the people of the historic district. As a resident of the 900 block of West Washington for 10 years, I have seen the steady deterioration of the 1100 block: the empty Natatorium, the empty and greatly deteriorated mortuary and the empty Hansel Center. If Catholic Worker is forced to leave, besides these buildings, there will be three empty lots, five empty houses, two businesses, one cheap rental building and four small occupied single-family dwellings. That will be an open invitation to the crack houses, criminals and drug use of the past. We need a new plan.

Gordon BerrySouth BendHow to do it Two million people are dying of cold, hunger and tetanus for lack of helicopters and cheap vaccines in Asia and Central America. Thousands of U.S. citizens were stranded in Cancun days after Hurricane Wilma. New storms are hitting places not yet recovered from the last storm. Meanwhile, the United States continues to spend wildly for war in Iraq and Afghanistan. As of this time, it has cost the people of Indiana more than $3.8 billion and South Bend more than $52.5 million for the Iraq war. There is no better time than right now to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a good excuse: There are just more urgent things to do. President Bush would not have to admit error. The Iraqi people would have a good chance to rise to the occasion of making for themselves a free government. We would bring our troops home or assign them and military supplies to life- saving work in areas of natural disaster in the United States or abroad. We could reduce federal taxes without increasing the deficit and without raising state and local property taxes. It is time to make a change for the better.